I Abandoned My Beast Cubs for the Protagonist... Oops?-Chapter 47: Flying Dropkicks

"I am never leaving this hut. You can just bury me under it."

Bai Yue sat on a woven mat inside Mo Xiao’s spacious hut, her face buried entirely in her hands. Her hair was still damp from the hot springs, and despite being scrubbed completely clean of swamp mud, her cheeks were burning with the heat of a thousand suns.

Across the small fire pit, the Panther Alpha was failing miserably at hiding his amusement. Mo Xiao let out a loud, undignified snort, crossing his muscular arms.

"You have really changed, Bai Yue," Mo Xiao chuckled, his amber eyes dancing. "The old you wouldn’t be hiding in my hut blushing like a maiden. The old you would have just knocked Zhāo Yàn over the head with a rock and dragged him into the nearest cave."

"That doesn’t make me feel better!" Bai Yue groaned, peeking through her fingers. "I kissed him! I kissed him right in front of Han Shān! Han Shān dropped his berries, Mo Xiao! His berries!"

While Bai Yue spiraled into a pit of romantic despair, absolute chaos was unfolding in the background.

Yòu Lín, the little fox kit, had decided that the terrifying Dragon Prince was actually a jungle gym. The kit was currently clinging to Cāng Jì’s back, chewing experimentally on the collar of his expensive robes.

Instead of incinerating the cub, Cāng Jì was sitting perfectly rigid, a visible vein throbbing in his forehead. Every few seconds, his left eye twitched violently, but he didn’t throw the kit off.

"You are overthinking this, star-thief," Cāng Jì suddenly announced, his voice stiff as he reached back to clumsily pry the fox kit off his neck. "Do you know what I do when I see a female I wish to mate with?"

Bai Yue slowly lowered her hands, looking at the dragon with a mix of dread and morbid curiosity. "What?"

Cāng Jì puffed out his chest, looking incredibly proud of himself. "I simply transform into my most majestic form, abduct her, drop her into a pile of pure gold, and roar at any male that comes within a fifty-mile radius until she accepts my brilliance."

The entire hut went dead silent.

Even Yòu Lín stopped chewing on the silk.

Bai Yue picked up a wooden spoon from a nearby bowl. Without a second of hesitation, she leaned over and smacked the majestic Dragon Prince directly on top of the head.

THWACK!

"OW!" Cāng Jì yelped, clutching his scalp as a comically large, almost cartoonish bump immediately began to swell beneath his hair.

"That is kidnapping, you scaly menace!" Bai Yue scolded, waving the spoon like a weapon. "Do not give me mating advice!"

Outside the hut, a few passing panther beastmen flinched at the sound. The Cursed Female just hit a dragon, one whispered in awe. She’s terrifying!

"Come on," Bai Yue sighed, tossing the spoon aside. "It’s time for the tribal meal. I have to face them eventually."

The walk to the center of the village was loud. Miao Miao and Xiao Hei were currently engaged in a heated, high-pitched argument while weaving directly through Bai Yue’s legs.

"Meat is better!" Xiao Hei growled, puffing his tiny chest out.

"Carrots are crunchy! Meat gets stuck in your teeth!" Miao Miao argued, shoving him playfully.

"Meat!"

"Carrots!"

"Watch out—!" Bai Yue gasped as Xiao Hei darted right in front of her bare feet. She tripped over the little panther, her arms flailing as she tipped forward toward the hard dirt path.

She braced for impact, but it never came.

A strong, warm arm wrapped securely around her waist, catching her mid-fall. Bai Yue gasped, looking up into a pair of striking, slit-pupiled eyes.

Cāng Jì had caught her. His face was only inches from hers, and for a split second, the arrogant, haughty mask slipped. There was genuine, soft care in his gaze as he made sure she hadn’t hurt herself.

Then, his brain caught up with his actions.

Cāng Jì’s face instantly exploded into a violent shade of pink. He yanked her upright by the waist, shoving her back onto her own two feet, and aggressively turned his head away.

"Hmph!" the Dragon Prince pouted, crossing his arms tightly. "Watch your step, clumsy female! I will not be held responsible if you flatten a cub!"

Bai Yue rolled her eyes, smoothing her skirt. "Right. Thank you, sparkles."

When they reached the clearing, the communal fires were roaring. Several beastmen still gave Bai Yue wary side-eyes, but the open hostility from a few weeks ago was entirely gone. She took a seat on a large log next to Mo Xiao, her eyes scanning the crowd.

Where are Han Shān and Zhāo Yàn? she wondered, her stomach doing a nervous flip.

Suddenly, a massive, freezing presence settled onto the log directly beside her.

Bai Yue flinched so hard she nearly screamed. She turned her head, coming face-to-chest with a very grumpy Snow Leopard.

"Han Shān??" she squeaked.

Before Han Shān could respond, a tidal wave of fur descended upon him. "Uncle Han Shān!" Miao Miao, A-Li, and Xiao Hei tackled his legs, completely ignoring his terrifying aura. Han Shān let out a long, long sigh, his fierce expression melting into helpless resignation as he patted their heads.

"What are you doing here?" Bai Yue whispered, genuinely shocked. Han Shān hated talking to her, let alone eating near her.

Han Shān leveled a deadly glare at her. He bared his fangs in a snarl. "I am only sitting here because Zhāo Yàn forced me to. And.....to do this."

Without warning, Han Shān’s massive hand clamped onto the back of Bai Yue’s neck, violently shoving her head down toward her knees.

WHOOSH!

A pair of dirty boots flew through the exact airspace her head had occupied just a millisecond prior.

"Eh?!" Bai Yue yelped, staring at the ground as the attacker landed gracefully a few feet away, kicking up a cloud of dust.

It was a boy with fiery auburn hair, white-tipped ears, and a furiously swishing, ringed red tail. He was panting heavily, his amber eyes locked onto Bai Yue with anger.

Bai Yue’s brain scrambled for a moment before the original owner’s memories clicked into place.

Wait... Hóng Yè?! My first son?!

Mo Xiao instantly leaped to his feet, his jaw dropping. "Hóng Yè?! What in the world are you doing here?! Where is your father?!"

"I came to finish her!" Hóng Yè roared, ignoring the Alpha’s question about his father completely. He bared his small fangs and prepared to charge at Bai Yue again.

He took exactly one step before a towering figure stepped between them.

The Dragon Prince narrowed his golden eyes and released a fraction of his draconic aura, the air pressure in the clearing plummeting.

"Sit down, you raccoon. If you try to touch this female again, I will incinerate you," Cāng Jì ordered, his voice echoing with terrifying authority.

Hóng Yè squeaked. All of his rebellious fury evaporated in the face of an apex predator. The teenager scrambled backward, looking for an escape, and immediately dove to sit on the ground next to Zhāo Yàn, who had just casually strolled into the clearing.

Zhāo Yàn sat down elegantly beside Han Shān, completely unbothered by the chaos. Nestled happily in the Fox Lord’s arms was little Ruì Xuě.

The snow leopard cub spotted Bai Yue and beamed, waving his tiny, chubby hand.

Bai Yue, still clutching her chest from the near-decapitation, offered a weak, trembling wave back. As she did, she finally noticed the tall, broad-shouldered Tiger beastman standing silently behind Hóng Yè, staring at a piece of firewood with the emotional depth of a puddle. Who on earth is that?

She slowly sat back up, rubbing her neck, and looked at Han Shān.

"You......you saved me," Bai Yue whispered. "Thank you." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Han Shān scoffed, turning his face away with a low growl. "Do not flatter yourself. I simply didn’t want the boy to break his foot on your thick skull."

Bai Yue sighed, her shoulders slumping. You stupid, stupid old Bai Yue, she cursed her predecessor internally. Looking at the furious Hóng Yè, her heart ached. She suddenly remembered Yan Shu, the sweet, gentle, adorable red panda scholar who had loved her, and whom the old Bai Yue had driven away.

Cāng Jì abruptly sat down at Bai Yue’s other side, bumping her shoulder with his own. He pushed Mo Xiao away, who opened and closed his mouth.

"Hmph!" the Dragon Prince declared loudly, glaring at the fire. "I stopped his second attack! You should say thank you to me, too!"

From the other side of Han Shān, Zhāo Yàn let out a smooth, mocking scoff. "Demanding praise for intimidating a thirteen-year-old? Such a kit."

Cāng Jì bristled instantly, his golden scales flashing on his forearms. "What did you say, you overgrown furball?!"

Zhāo Yàn smirked. "Did your ears fall off?"

"My ears are perfectly fine!" The dragon protested. "MOCK ME AGAIN AND I WILL INCINERATE YOUR TAILS!"

Bai Yue sat perfectly still, sandwiched between her grumpy, deadly husband, a ridiculously handsome, teasing fox, a tsundere dragon throwing a tantrum, and a teenage son who was currently glaring at her like he wanted to set her hair on fire.

She picked up a piece of roasted meat, took a slow bite, and stared blankly into the fire.

I am definitely going to need a bigger stick.